


Process of Discovery

by Rina_san28



Series: Overwatch Fluff Fest [7]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, M/M, Moving On, Multi, Pre-Canon, Recovery, Reunions, Serious Injuries, just basic mentions, no graphic descriptions of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 11:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21243110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_san28/pseuds/Rina_san28
Summary: Fareeha Amari was a soldier. She had always been a soldier and would always be a soldier.Until she wasn't.





	Process of Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I have returned. I actually wrote this in June, but have only just gotten around to editing and posting it because my family got a new addition: a puppy! Her name is Zelda, she's a Bernese Mountain Dog, and she had her six-month birthday this past Saturday! She's a cutie pie, but extremely distracting. 
> 
> This was a request from Blackwatch_Agent, so TA-DA I finally get her done! 
> 
> For the timeline, this takes place approximately 5 years after Ana's "death," 3 years after Overwatch fell, and 3 years before TL;TF.

It was a simple mission. Surveillance. Her team just needed to check to see if a building was still occupied or the suspects had moved on, just enough information to hand over to the intel team before she got to go on a long holiday with her girlfriend to Sweden.

It was supposed to be simple.

They weren’t expecting cannons.

\-----

When Fareeha woke up the first time, everything was faded out, as if she was looking at it from far away. Her ears felt like they were stuffed with something, and her head felt like it was full of soap. Angela was there, but she was talking to a man in a doctor’s coat. She looked angry. _She’s beautiful when she’s angry,_ Fareeha thought.

She went back to sleep.

\-----

The second time Fareeha woke up, she was on fire. She gasped, trying to sit up, but hands pressed her back down flat. Someone was saying something to her, but she couldn’t understand the words over the roaring in her head. With great effort, she managed to look down at the sheet covering her body. It seemed…shorter. Something was off, something was wrong – she couldn’t feel her legs. She blinked, then looked again.

The blanket was flat where her legs should have been.

Maybe it was the shock of her discovery, maybe it was just her waking up more, but her senses began to clear and, slowly, she became aware of the rest of herself. One functional arm and hand, five functional fingers, all on the left side. The right was stiff and painful, and another glance showed it to be casted all the way to her bicep. Her torso felt bruised and sore, but otherwise whole and _oh dear, I’m hyperventilating, that needs to stop_, so she tried to even out her breathing to the timber of the voice next to her. Who was that? She would check in a moment. _Breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold, breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold_-

“That’s it, you’re doing great, come on sweetheart-”

Satisfied with her control, Fareeha turned, coming nose-to-nose with her father. She was thrown for a moment. “Dad?”

Sam crumpled in relief. Gently, as if she were a tiny baby rather than a seasoned soldier, he pulled her to his chest and ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered, “oh god, I thought I’d lost you.”

“What happened?” Fareeha asked, wrapping her good arm around him. She could feel him trembling.

“The recon team before you somehow didn’t notice the giant cannons mounted in the alley,” he said. “You were hit pretty much point-blank. It’s a miracle that you’re alive.” He gave her a little squeeze, then helped her sit up against her headboard. “The doctors say that you should be able to go back to active duty within six months, if you’re still interested.”

She looked up at him, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, the hollowness in his cheekbones. It had been nearly five years since she’d seen that look – the day they buried her mother’s empty casket. “I’ll think about it,” she said. She threaded her fingers through his, savoring the contact. “How long was I out?”

“About three days.” Sam picked up a small box, and she recognized her beads. With practiced hands, he wove them into her hair, working out the knots as he went. “Angela was here a little while ago, but she had to take a phone call. She’s working with Torbjörn to get you some prosthetics.”

“So they’re both gone?”

“Yup. Nearly lost the arm, too, but that lady of yours is a miracle worker. I think the surgeon in charge almost leapt for joy when _the_ Dr. Angela Ziegler showed up.”

“She does have that effect on people.” They both chuckled for a moment, but it quickly lapsed into a heavy silence.

She could have died. Just a slightly delayed response, a little closer to the cannon, a little slower extraction, and that could have been the end for Fareeha Amari. War seemed to have an eye on the Amari women, it seemed. It frightened her.

Death had always been a constant when she was growing up. Her mother and her father would take turns going on long missions, and short missions landed her with Jack, Gabriel, Reinhardt, or the Lindholms, depending on who was available. She could remember standing on the landing platform waiting for her mother to leave the transport, Ingrid’s hands on her shoulders, watching the line of body bags floating on stretchers down the ramp. As she got older, she understood the pain her parents felt every time a comrade fell. The sound of her mother in the kitchen at two in the morning was a common one, and sometimes her father would join and they would sit and grieve for the people they’d killed. It was a chilling ritual, but, in a way, a comforting one that she had picked up when she, too, joined the army. Would the people who’d tried to kill her do the same?

Sam sat back, letting her beads fall into place along her jaw. “There’s my pretty girl.”

“I think you mean shitty.”

“You’re always pretty,” he said, “even all bruised up and in an ugly hospital gown.”

“I see why Mom married you,” she joked, “you’re a real charmer.”

“Nah, she just married me because I could reach the upper shelves.”

The door opened, and in walked Angela, texting furiously. Her hair was tied up in a knot at her nape, she wore no makeup, and there was a weight on her shoulders that hadn’t been there when Fareeha had kissed her goodbye, but-

Fareeha smiled. “You look beautiful.”

Angela’s head shot up. “Fareeha!” She stumbled over to the bed, dropping down onto the bed and almost collapsing against her. “_Mein gott_, I was scared you’d never wake up.”

“Hush, my love, I’m here,” Fareeha whispered. She pressed a kiss to the top of her partner’s head. “I’m here, and I’m okay, I promise.” Angela let out a small sob into the crook of her neck and suddenly she was swallowing down tears of her own. “We’re all gonna be okay.”

\-----

Genji and his fiancé arrived three days after she woke up.

“Hey there,” the cyborg said cheerily, removing his faceplate and helmet. “I heard we were almost twins!”

“I still have both arms, buddy,” Fareeha said, holding up her cast, “plus I’m six inches taller than you.”

“You were,” Genji pointed out. “Until you get your prosthetics, I’m the taller one.”

“Still doesn’t count.”

“Come on, Ree, let me have this.”

“I refuse. You’re already older.”

“You two are the worst,” Sam commented, not looking up from his knitting. “Can’t you go five minutes without bickering?”

“No,” they answered simultaneously.

“Alrighty then.”

Fareeha turned her attention to the omnic hovering in the doorway. “Hello,” she said, waving him in, “you must be Zenyatta. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It is wonderful to meet you as well,” he said, taking her hands gently in his own, and _wow_, she could listen to him talk all day, “although I do wish it were in better circumstances.”

“Eh.” She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Angela came in, arms full of lunch. “Every time I leave, something happens!” she said, throwing her eyes up in exasperation. She dropped the food on the table and crushed Genji in a hug. “I missed you,” she said.

“I missed you too, Angela,” Genji said. He pulled back, lightly tugging Zenyatta towards them. “This is my fiancé, Tekhartha Zenyatta.”

“It’s so nice to meet you!” She pulled him into a hug as well, and Fareeha’s face softened as the two dove into conversation. Angela’s face lit up when the monk had mentioned her civilian relief efforts, a passion she was always eager to expound on, and the joy in her eyes made her entire face glow.

“Ahem.” Fareeha jumped, turning to see Genji sitting on the bed beside her, smirking. “I know that look. You want to marry that woman.”

“…I do,” she said. “I think I have for a really long time.”

Genji plucked a sharpie from his satchel, uncapped it, and got to work on the blank material of her cast. “You two are good together,” he said. “I think you should at least talk about it.”

“We have.”

“And you aren’t engaged yet?”

Fareeha hesitated. “She wanted to wait until I had a more…stable position in the army.”

“I see.” He gave his doodled Eevee a winky-face. “Will you go back into service after you recover?”

“I’m, ah, not sure.” She reached over and grabbed the paperwork from her bedside table, offering it for his inspection. “I can take an honorable discharge with a commendation, or I can return to service with a promotion.”

“Those are both viable options,” Genji said. With a flourish, he finished off the Eevee and started outlining a Snorlax. “Answer me this, Fareeha,” he said. “How long have you been in the army?”

“Twelve years?” she said. “Why?”

“What is it like not being in the military? How is it, being a normal adult?”

That gave her pause. _What was it like?_ “I…I don’t know,” she answered slowly.

“Do you want to?”

She stayed silent.

Genji smiled sadly. “It is a tough decision,” he said quietly. “Jesse and I had to make it, too. But, ultimately, the choice is yours. When do you need to decide?”

“By the time I’m discharged,” she said. “It determines my treatment plan. They won’t let Torbjörn make my prosthetics if I decide to continue in the military.”

“Interesting ultimatum.” The Snorlax was given a pillow and a line of _zzz_’s. “I think you should call Jesse, if you can find him.”

“Really? Why?”

“He might have more answers than you’d think.” Genji’s smile turned sly, and he leaned forward. “So, tell me – how many weird places has Angela fallen asleep since I last saw you?”

Fareeha laughed. “Oh, she had a great one a few months ago. I found her in the kitchen-”

“_Fareeha_, don’t you _dare_ tell him that story-”

\-----

_Brrrring…brrrring…brrrring…brrr-_

Fareeha’s screen went black, then lit up again, showing a familiar face. She grinned. “Hey, there. Long time, no see.”

_“Well I’ll be, if it isn’t the fabulous Fareeha!”_ Jesse McCree said, his own grin stretching from ear to ear. His beard was different, fuller, his hair was longer, and he had crow’s feet creeping at the corners of his eyes, but he was still the cowboy she knew and loved. _“What brings you around, kiddo?” _

“I’m not a ‘kiddo,’ Jesse, I’m five years younger than you,” she said. “I actually needed to give you some news.”

His smile faded. _“Good news or bad news?” _

“…Pretty bad,” she admitted. “I, uh – I’ll just show you.” Biting her lip, she flipped the camera and waited for his reaction. She’d pushed off her blankets and changed into shorts and a tank top of her own, leaving her stumps on full display. They were bandaged, but still ugly to her eyes.

Jesse’s eyebrows shot up in alarm. _“Oh, ‘Reeha,”_ he said, his voice nearly a whisper,_ “I’m so sorry.” _

Almost against her will, she started to cry. “I don’t know what to do, Jess,” she said. “I’m limited now.”

_“You are not limited to anythin’, Fareeha Amari, do you hear me?”_ Jesse demanded. _“Turn that camera back around, lemme see your face.”_ She obeyed, and his expression softened. _“Hey, now, you’re gonna be alright, y’see? You’re a smart gal, you’re gonna be just fine.”_

“They want to send me home tomorrow,” Fareeha said, “but they want to know if I’m still going to be in the military.”

_“They’re offerin’ you an out?” _

“Yeah. I just-” She blew out a harsh breath. “I don’t know what I want. My dad was military until he reached retirement age, my mom was military until she died. I’m thirty. Is that too young to give up?”

_“You’re not ‘givin’ up’, you’re livin’ your life. Believe it or not, you ain’t your parents,”_ Jesse said. _“Tell me, why’d you join the army?”_

“I wanted to do my duty.”

_“Nope, try again. We talked about this, remember?” _

Sheepishly, she nodded. “I wanted to join Overwatch, but needed merit.”

_“Right,”_ he said, giving a short nod of approval. _“What ain’t here anymore?” _

“Overwatch.”

_“Right again! Now, what can the military give you that civilian life can’t? What are you gettin’ out of it now?”_ he asked.

“It’s…just a job now, I guess,” she said after a moment. “I get recognition, I get paid, I go home.”

_“And what’s at home for you?” _

“Angela.”

_“Do you need the army to keep Angela?” _

In that moment, something clicked. “No,” she said slowly, “I don’t. And…I don’t think I need it for me, either.”

Jesse sat back, running his hand over his beard. _“And ain’t that a thought.”_

“I don’t know how to be myself without it, though,” Fareeha said.

_“That’s what Angie’s for, that’s what your family’s for. I take it Torb’s makin’ your new set of shinies.”_

“As long as I leave the military.”

_“Well, there you go, another great reason to leave. They’re givin’ you an honorable discharge, right?”_

Fareeha nodded. “And a commendation.”

_“I’d say take it,” _Jesse said. _“Hell of a lot more than I got when I left Blackwatch.”_

“Thank you, Jesse,” she said. “You’ve always been able to talk me back from the edge.”

He shrugged. _“What can I say? It’s a gift.” _As if remembering something, he jumped. _“Oh! On that note, I’ve got some news for you, too.”_

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Good news or bad news?” Jesse merely raised his left arm in response, shiny metal where flesh should’ve been. _“Alqarf almuqadas,_ Jesse, when did that happen?”

_“Oh, ‘bout two years back. It’s a hell of a story,”_ he said casually. _“Luckily, I had friends in high places who could hook me up with this sucker. Coulda been a lot worse.”_

Rattling came from the hallway and Fareeha shot Jesse a regretful look. “The night nurse is coming,” she said. “I have to pretend to be asleep. It’s almost one in the morning here.”

_“You get your beauty rest, li’l sis, I’ll catch you later,” _Jesse said. _“Don’t be a stranger, now, y’hear?”_

“I’ll do my best,” she said. “I love you.”

_“Love you, too. G’night.” _

“Night.” _Click._

When she left the next morning, it was with a closed, distinguished military record, her discharge papers, and two plane tickets to Sweden.

**Author's Note:**

> **Writing Notes:**  
1\. As a disclaimer, I have never had super-major injury like this, but my mother came close, so I based much of this off of her experience. Fareeha sort-of wakes up several times, but isn't fully aware of her surroundings.   
2\. I LOVE SAM. Or, more specifically, I love my version of Sam. He's a Cool Dad. When Fareeha wakes up, he had been sitting there for two straight days.   
3\. A previous version of this story was from Angela's perspective. When she got the call about what happened, the first thing she did was call Sam. The second thing she did was call Lena and ask her to fly Sam to Egypt as fast as possible. They managed to get Sam on a commercial plane from Canada to London, where Lena met him and flew him to Egypt in her personal plane.   
4\. I based my timeline for Ana off of what I could gather from the _Bastet_ short story.   
5\. Much of Ana's lore and dialogue implies that she is not at all happy about the number of people she's killed and does grieve every single one. I decided to incorporate that into Fareeha and Sam - after all, they were a family, and the beliefs of your family do inform your own life philosophies and choices.   
6\. My father is very bad at compliments, despite his best efforts and intentions. I decided to pass that down to Sam.   
7\. Genji was the third person on Angela's call list. He and Zenyatta got there as fast as they could, but since they're very nomadic, they had to really work to hunt down airports.   
8\. Sam knits. Why? Because he can.   
9\. If you haven't noticed, I love Zenyatta. I really like listening to his dialogue because of how calming he sounds, and I do think that would be a comfort to Fareeha right now.   
10\. Altering a career path is a difficult choice, especially if it's one you've essentially built your life around. I recently had to make that choice and I can promise that it is not at all fun. Using the same logic that I gave Genji here is honestly what helped me. If you are not happy doing what you're doing or you come to a crucial point of some kind, maybe this can be of help to you as well.   
11\. Angela fell asleep inside the cabinet under the sink while trying to clean.   
12\. Jesse and Fareeha haven't seen each other's faces for about four years, but they have texted and such.   
13\. Fareeha has literally never once thought about what she would do outside of the military because she'd "figure it out when she got there." Don't be like Fareeha. Always have a back-up plan.   
14\. As a reminder, this is only like a year, maybe a year-and-a-half before the Recall. When these two get back together in-person, their first outing is to pick out Angela's engagement ring. Incidentally, Jesse and Angela's first outing is to pick out Fareeha's engagement ring. He's a good big brother and a great secret-keeper.   
15\. I would like to note: Jesse didn't independently convince Fareeha to request a discharge. Neither did Genji. Fareeha came to that decision of her own volition, but needed the confirmation that what she wanted to do was okay. 
> 
> I do have another multi-chapter fic incoming, so keep an eye out for that - it's imminent! Until then, I can be found as rina-san28 on Tumblr, and I'll catch you folks later!


End file.
